- 1/17: To Detroit, Evening with Friends
- 1/18: Morning Run, Henry Ford Museum and NAIAS
- 1/19: Coming Back to Houston
2015/01/17 Going to Detroit
Going to the airport
Woke up at 10:00am. My head was half asleep and my body was tired but I cannot miss the flight. Stretched my body and took shower, Left the apartment at 11:15am, the driving was not too bad. I ate two rice balls on the way while driving on the toll way to make it to the airport on time. A cop was watching for speeders at just north of I-10 but nothing else was notable. When I was getting closer to the airport, I thought about using the on site parking but realized that I have just enough time to use off site parking. Arrived at parking at 11:40am, got a ride to the terminal B in no time since I was the only one. Walked into the terminal building for check in, passed security screening at 12:00pm and walked to the gate B79a. The place was packed with people. I found at least one person talking on the phone about being laid off after last Friday.
Going to Detroit: UA4217 IAH(1:00pm CST) - DTW(4:51pm EST)
Get on board the plane at 12:38pm, the cabin was very much full of people and bags. Closed door at 12:55pm and departed on time. The plane taxied and departed from 15R at 1:12pm to the south, then made right turn to fly over the airport, a rare occasion, before heading out. I have loaded a map data on my iPhone before the flight so I can track where we are flying by comparing the map information and the actual visual. The plane flying over Livingston at 1:20pm, Angelia national forest at 1:30pm, Osceola at 2:13pm, Paducah at 2:28pm, Evansville, IN at 2:35pm, Bloomington, IN at 2:45pm, The plane reached to Indianapolis at 2:55pm, the sky then covered by clouds. From here to Detroit, the ground is covered with snow and I cannot tell where I am at the present moment. The descending started from 3:00pm and approached to Detroit from the southwest side so I can see the inlet of Detroit River to Lake Erie as I get to see the airport. Turned to the north and passing Southfield then turned back to the airport and landed at 4:25pm to the south. The plane needed to taxi for a while then arrived at the gate D1.
Departing from IAH
Flying over...
Lake Sam Rayburn
Evansville, IN
Snow field
DTW
Ford Plant
Detroit
Turning for the final
Landed
Arrived at Gate
Party with my friends
Stepped out at 4:38pm, and waited for the bag. The outside is looking a little of twilight but still bright. Got my bag at 4:45pm then start walking to the ground transportation to get on a shuttle to rental car site at 5:00pm. For this time, I got a rental car from Hertz, because the prices were so expensive ($70-$100 a day), and the United Airline had a deal with them. I got a Nissan Sentra, which is enough to drive around. Called my friend to let her know that I arrived in Detroit then left the facility at 5:20pm. I drove on I-94 west then on I-275 north to 8 miles Rd, checked in at hotel at 5:45pm and rest a bit. Left the hotel at 6:30pm, drove under dark sky to Kroger I used to shop often at 7:00pm. Arrived at my friend's place, meeting many of my friends from school and life in Michigan. We chat until midnight and the party was over. Drove back to the hotel and went to bed.
Nissan Sentra
for the ride
Checking in at the
hotel
2015/01/18 Kensington Park, Henry Ford Museum, NAIAS
Going to Kensington Park
Woke up at 7:00am, stretched my body then had breakfast from hotel lobby. Left to Kensington Park at ? I was driving under cloudy weather and get on I-96. When I get close to the park the rain started. I did not mind it so I began to run the trail where I used to run, spending nearly half day when I was training for marathons when I lived in Michigan. Drove back to the hotel after the run, took shower and get warmed up before leaving the hotel at 11:15am.
Breakfast...
Pictures from Kensington Park in winter
Going to Henry Ford Museum
Took I-96 east then on local road, arrived at the Henry Ford Museum at 11:50am, paid $26 admission and parking charge, then stepped inside. Their exhibits cover many fields, steam engines, farming equipment, and large collection of cars. Decided to leave at 1:30pm, walking out in cloudy and breezy outside. Started the car and drove on a local road until I get to ? I
Pictures from the Henry Ford Museum
Going to NAIAS
The Cobo Roof was full so I had to find an alternative place, parking my car at 2:10pm for $20. I walked out and decided my first place is to have lunch at 2:20pm at Jimmy John's, then walked to Hard Rock Café at 2:50pm to buy some pins. Walked around for a while then took a people mover to Cobo Center. Bought tickets at 3:30pm and walked around for about 3 hours, I had dinner within the building around 6:50pm, a burger cost me $10, $3 for water and
Hard Rock
Cafe
Spirit of Detroit, GM Tower
Looking at Detroit River
Detroit Downtown
Cadillac landing
The People
Mover, using for the first time!
Left at 9:45pm and walked to the parking, get ready for the drive back to the hotel and left parking at 9:55pm. The road was not so bad, very few cars, nothing worry about freezing condition. Took I-96 west then I-275 north. Grabbed McNuggets at McDonald's nearby the hotel, Came back to the room at 10:30pm, went to bed around 11:00pm
Dinner, $17 for
these?!
Cobo Center at
night
2015/01/19 Coming back to Houston
Going to airport
I woke up at 7:00am. Stretched my body then had
breakfast from the lobby. Today, the juice dispenser was not functioning so
I took milk from cereal place. Took shower, packed my bag then left hotel at
9:50am. I met a janitor on the way out, and I told her that the room 236 is
vacated, she looked up at a list then thanked me for the tip I left. Made my
day.
It was a cloudy morning but no snow so driving to the airport was
easy. Filled up gas nearby rental car place but somehow it was not taking
the fuel all way. so when I returned the car at 10:20am, they charged me for
another $10 for not fueling fully... Waited at outside for ten minutes
before get picked up by a shuttle bus to north terminal. Walked up to the
check in gate, passed security with no problem then walked to the gate
at 10:50am, grabbed water on the way. The boarding already started so I
walked into the plane straight at 11:00am.
Breakfast
Going back to Houston: UA4746 DTW(11:21am EST) - IAH(1:47pm CST)
The plane had a restroom issue but was fixed for on time departure. It was pushed back and began taxing at 11:23am. The plane departed at 11:30am to the north, passing I-94 then soon turned right and climbed above the clouds. I must have fell sleep so I am not sure what happened after this. Slept for about two hours then woke up around 12:45pm CST, I realized that the plane was flying over Sabine national forest, soon the plane took path at south end of the Angelina national forest. At 12:50pm as the plane started to slow down. The plane approached to the airport from the east side, and landed at ?. The plane taxied toward the gate but since the arrival was about 30 minutes early so the plane needed to wait for a while before proceeding to the vacant gate.
Old
terminal at DTW
Departing from Detroit
Cloud cover soon be lifted
Approaching to Houston
Landed at Houston
Going back home
Getting off the plane at 1:30pm, I got picked up by a parking shuttle van and headed to the off site parking. I paid the fee with AAA discount and left at 2:10pm. I have not eaten my lunch yet so I stopped at Burger King at 2:40pm for Whooper meal. Drove home under sunny weather, came home at 3:10pm, took nap until 4:30pm then get ready for the night shift. The road was not so bad on the way to commute. Back in my regular routine, I will be travelling to Japan within a week.
Sunny day at
Houston